A museum dedicated to Turkish-American scientist Aziz Sancar, who shared the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on DNA repair, opened on 21 October in the historic house in Mardin’s Savur district where he was born and grew up, Anadolu Agency reported.
The Aziz Sancar Museum occupies one floor of a four-storey stone mansion in the Sefa neighbourhood of Savur, a small town in southeastern Türkiye. Sancar also stayed in the house for a period while working as a doctor. Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, who attended the opening, said the building dates from before 1938.
What visitors will see
The museum covers 395 square metres and is arranged in three halls. Exhibits include photographs from Sancar’s life, medical instruments, his diplomas and academic gowns, gifts and awards he has received, and files on his scientific work.
The project was carried out by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Restoration included structural reinforcement, plastering, stone cleaning and insulation, while original features such as stone mouldings, chimneys, decorative motifs, an inscription and traditional rainwater spouts were preserved. The interior was arranged to reflect how the house was originally used.
The basement and upper floors will be used by the Mardin Governor’s Office as a reading room and science centre. Savur Mayor Engin Uğur Hamidi said there are plans for a TÜBİTAK science centre on the ground floor; TÜBİTAK is Türkiye’s state scientific research council.
Sancar attends opening
Sancar toured the museum with Ersoy and Mardin Governor Tuncay Akkoyun after a ribbon-cutting ceremony. He described the result as both authentic and wonderful, according to Anadolu, and recalled that his happiest days were those he spent working as a physician in Sirkeci, Istanbul.
Ersoy said the museum aims to show young people that success depends on the time, patience and effort invested along the way. Governor Akkoyun said it would give young people an opportunity to take Sancar’s determination as an example. The minister and governor presented Sancar with a painting featuring photos of him, his parents and friends, together with copies of his birth certificate and diploma register.
Hamidi also noted that Sancar dedicated his Nobel Prize to the Republic and presented it to Anıtkabir, the Ankara mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. A boulevard named after the scientist has been opened in Savur.
A new stop on the Mardin route
Savur lies about an hour’s drive from Mardin’s old town, a popular destination known for its honey-coloured stone architecture overlooking the Mesopotamian plain. The opening adds to a series of new museum openings around the country, including five new museums in Topkapı Palace’s Darphane complex. Visitors planning trips can check our report on museum entry fees and the MuseumPass for 2027, and those weighing a longer stay can compare regions in our guide to where to live and buy in Türkiye.
Sources
Photo: Holger Motzkau / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
